SOCHI, RUSSIA — The Swedes have as sunny of a disposition as the weather that largely has made these Sochi Olympics feel like a long spring break. They get up, they go to work, they succeed, they smile, they wait for their next date.

Sweden sanguinely advanced into the semifinals on a warm Wednesday at the Sochi Games, guiltlessly ending Slovenia's storybook run at the Olympics to set up a meeting against archrival Finland. The Finns came through with the thriller of the tournament today at Bolshoy Ice Dome when they pulled the welcome mat away from host Russia and sent the hosts home with a 3-1 defeat that stunned the almost entirely pro-Russia crowd.

"Finland, they are a feisty team, especially when they play Sweden," Alfredsson said.

Sweden scored four times in the third period to defeat Slovenia, 5-0, at Bolshoy Ice Dome, building on preliminary-round victories over the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Latvia. The Czechs have some skill, but the Swedes know they have yet to really be tested. It was a running theme as players spoke after the quarterfinal, with an echo of "we haven't played our best game yet" echoing around the interview zone and news conference with coach Par Marts. Marts explained it as being so because it hasn't been necessary.

"When the semifinals come, we are going to play much better game. I am sure of that because the guys are waiting, too," he said. "I'm satisfied. But I know, for sure, that next game, we are going to be play better, because everyone is going to pay the price for winning more. We're going to be there."

The Swedes, one of hockeys superpowers along with Canada, Russia and the U.S., hadn't advanced out of the quarterfinals in three of the previous four Olympics. The last time they did was when Alfredsson, a five-time Olympian, had a sense he spoke of today.

"Every tournament takes its own life," he said, "but in '06, we had a good feeling, and I feel we have a good feeling now. We are not the heavy favorites. We are going to go in and just play a team game and have our specialty teams going, and our goaltender has been playing really good."

The Swedes left the 2006 Torino Games with the gold medal. Their chances at this tournament were dented by injuries to superstars Henrik Sedin and Henrik Zetterberg, but so far, everything looks bright. The power play is clicking to the tune of six goals over four games. Henrik Lundqvist has delivered two shutouts and has a .948 save percentage and 1.25 goals-against average. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has three goals and seven points. Nearly every player has done something — produced, blocked shots, broken up an odd-man rush.

"Every game has been a process for us, to build and get better," Lundqvist said. "I think we've been patient with that process. It feels like we're improving. We're getting better. We're getting to know each other better and better, and that's a big thing, too, to know and understand how guys move out there. We're getting there."

The Swedes have done everything to make things easy on themselves, from taking advantage of being in a weak group to claiming the top seed to playing so early today that the game was over by 2:30 p.m. local time.

More time to ride bikes, enjoy the spring break-like weather, to relax.

"We've said it before," defenseman Niklas Kronwall of the Red Wings said. "The specialty teams and good goaltending is what everything depends on. So far, so good. We've got to keep working on it."

Alfredsson, whom Kronwall described as an inspiration because "he plays like a 24-year-old; he's having so much fun," was unhesitatingly honest when asked about Sweden's relatively easy stroll to the semis. "We know it,” he said. "Next game is our toughest challenge; there is no way around that. We haven't tried to pump ourselves up too much. We know we haven't played our best, but hopefully, that's to come."

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.